Tube end flaring hand tool



Sept 24, 1957 `F. M. HABE'RMl-:HL 2,807,305

` TUBE END FLARING HAND ToL Filed May 23; 1955 n 7 0. mi.

, y o 'an ...vox wow..

United States .l Patent (i) TUBE END FLARING HAND TOOL Applieafian May z3, 195s, seriaiNo. 510,207-

z claims. (er s-sas):

,This invention relates to a novel tube end. forming handrtool designed and' adapted' for expanding the ends ofI metal tubing and the like, quickly and.l accurately in situ,k and adaptable for either forming an expanded end on a tube to make a lap joint withv the unformedend of another like tube or to forma flared end on a tube for cooperation with a suitable tube tting.

Basically the hand tool of" this invention consists of a head fixed to a single tool locating handle that is posi-- tioned intermediate a tube clamp operating lever and a tube expanding die operating lever, each lever being coextensive with and swingable in opposite directions in the plane of the handle such Vthat an operator of the tool'- may position the toolV and then-,with but two simple manual motions clamp and then form the end of`a; tubular worky piece.

It is therefore an objectz of: the invention to provide a, manually` operable tube end. expander tool whereby a. tube end. forming operation is effected. by the;` inward movements, of two levers pivotally. mounted on the tool and successively forced toward an intermediate tool positioning handle fixed on and extending from the tool.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an expander tool having the foregoing characteristics an improved tube clamp and die driving means that may be successively operated by independent lever actuated mechanisms mounted in the head of the tool.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

In the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein like reference characters indicate similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of my tube expander tool in operative closed position, a part being broken away to show underlying parts.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central section through the head of the tool shown in open position.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

With reference to the drawings my improved tube end forming hand tool comprises an elongated head 7 that is substantially square in lateral section. One end of the head carries a fixed jaw member 8 formed with a semicircular groove 9 terminating at its inner end in an enlarged recess 10 forming a tapered shoulder 11 between them. A movable jaw member 12 is mounted on the head 7 for movement toward and away from the fixed jaw member 8 and to this end the movable jaw member is provided with a pair of spaced plates 120 and 13 which slide in guides 14 and 15, respectively, milled in opposite faces of the fixed jaw member. The movable jaw has formed in its fixed jaw confronting face a semicircular groove 16, an enlarged recess 17 and a tapered shoulder 18 which cooperate with the respective parts of the fixed jaw member to form a clamp and female forming die for the end of a tubular work piece 19 when Patented Sept. 24,` 1957? the latter is properly positioned therein and the jaws brought together in clamping relationship. The movable jaw is biased toward open position (Fig. 2) by a number of expansile coil springs 20 each` located in con- A fronting bores 21 and 22 formed in the corner portions of the fixed and movable jaw members.

A cam means operates the movable jaw and is shown in the drawings as a pair of ears 23 and 24l extending from the plates and 13, respectively, and having lanchored therein a pivot pin 25 which passes through a bore 26 formed through the upper end 27 of an elongated first manual lever 28. The cam portion 2,9 of the lever cooperates with the outer surface 30' of the fixed j'aw member to forcibly bring the jaws together and effectively clamp the end portion of the tube to the head.-

As best shown in Fig. 2 the head is formed with a two-diameter through-bore 31 coaxial with; the tubei clamping groovey 9 in the fixed jaw member 8 said bore slid'ably receiving a two-diameter plunger 32 that has a reduced, pilot end 33 projecting upwardly beyond the body of the head 7 to a position substantially flush` with the tapered shoulder 11 on said fixed jaw. The lower endv portion of the head is formed with a lateral s101234 which bisects the lower part of the bore 31, said slot being adapted to snugly accommodate the upper enlarged end 35 ot a second manual lever 36. This upper end 3'5` is in the form of a rectangular fiat plate pivotally mounted to the head on a pink 37 anchored in, said'. head apart of the plate being received in aV slot 38 formed in the lower end of` the plunger 32. The plate and plunger are operatively connected together by a pin -39 securedfat its ends in the plunger. body andY having itsY inf termediate portion passing through a lost motion slot 40 formed nr the plate ata distance from the pivot. pin

37. A spring pressed pin 4I is slidable in a bore '42 handle 43 that is located intermediate the first manual p lever 28 and the second manual lever 36, said handle having a spaced pair of wings 44 and 45 formed on its upper end which straddle the lower end of the head and are each fastened thereto by a number of screws 46 countersunk in the wings and threaded in bores tapped in opposed faces of the head.

The operation of my tube-end expanding hand tool is as follows:

Normally the hand tool will be stored and handled in the position of parts indicated in Fig. 1. When it is desired to expand the end of a tubular work piece 19 in situ, or otherwise, the intermediate handle 43 is held firmly in one hand and the first and second manual levers are swung in opposite directions and in the plane of said handle from their positions in Fig. l to their inoperative extended positions shown in Fig. 2 which are angularly spaced with respect to the handle 43. A tubular work piece is then entered between the opened jaw members 8 and 12 and its end slipped over the pilot end 33 on the retracted plunger 32. With the tube in position and the handle in the operators left-hand, the first manual lever 28 is grasped in the right-hand and said lever moved 'from the position indicated in Fig. 2 to its operative position adjacent the handle as shown in Fig. l. This first lever action firmly clamps the tube-end portion between the fixed and movable jaws. Next the adjacently positioned handle and first lever are held in the operators right-hand and the second manual lever 36 is then grasped in the left-hand and moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 to a position adjacent the handle 43 as depicted in Fig. 1,V

expanding it to provide either a flared end or a cupped end for a tube lap joint depending upon the form of dies employed in a particular tool. The foregoing procedute is reversed t0 release the tool from the finished end portion of the tubular work piece 19. i ,i While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood thatchanges may be made therein without departing from the Spirit` and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter; for example, the xed and movable jaw members may be provided with interchangeable female `clamp die blocks and male plungerelements to accommodate various sized tubings and/or form either cupped lap jointsor flared ends on tubing. Other modifications will readily occur to those skilled inthe art within the terms of the appended claims. What is claimed is:

1,.-A `tube expanding hand tool of the character described comprising a head, a fixed jaw member extending from one end of the head, a movable jaw member mounted on the fixed jaw member for lateral movement toward and away from said jaw member to respectively clamp and release the end portion of a tubular work piece, an elongated, intermediate handle fixed on the opposite end of the head, a first manual lever pivoted at one end on the movable jaw member and having a cam connection with the iixed jaw for actuating the movable jaw member, said first lever being coextensive with the handle and the head and swingable in the plane of the handle Eroman operative position adjacent one side of said handle to an inoperative position angularly spaced from said handle, a tube end forming die mounted for axial movement in the head in a direction normal to the movement f the movable jaw, a' second manual lever pivotally mounted at one end on the head, and cam means operably connecting the said second lever to the die, said second lever being coextensive with the handle and swingable` in the plane of the handle and the rst lever from a position adjacent the opposite side of the handle, constituting its position at the end ofthe tube expanding stroke, to an initial position angularly spaced from said handle.

2. A tube expanding hand tool of the character described comprising a head, a fixed jaw member extending from one end of the head, a movable jaw member mounted on the fixed jaw member for lateral movement toward and away from said `fixed jaw member to respectively clamp and release the end portion `of a tubular work piece, an elongated, intermediate handle fixed at one end to the head, a first manual lever pivoted at one end 0n the movable jaw member and having a cam connection with the fixed jaw for actuating the movable jaw member, said first lever being coextensive with the handle and swingable in the plane of the handle from an operative position adjacent one side of said handle to an inoperative position angularly spaced from said handle, a tube end forming die mounted in the other end of the head for axial movement .in the direction normal to the movement of the movable jaw; a' second manual lever pivotally mounted at one end on'the head, and cam means operably connecting the said second lever to the die, said second lever being coextensive with the handle and swingable in the plane of the handle and the first lever from a position adjacent-the opposite side of the handle, constituting its positionatthe end of the tube expanding stroke,to an initial position angularly spaced from said handle.

' References Cited Vinthe le of this patent UNITEDKSTATES PATENTS 2,180,033 .v Ca`tt0i.. l Nov. 14, 1939 2,302,794 Neukirch Nov. 24, 1942 2,669,142 Fuller Feb. 16, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS i 3,595 Great Britain i Feb. 1,2, 189s A214,431 Germany Oct. 12, 1909 127,476 Sweden Feb. 28, 1950 

